ABSTRACT Background: Lexical access in bilinguals can be influenced by the demands that different interactional contexts pose on cognitive control processes. However, how varying cognitive control demands impact lexical access in bilingual persons with aphasia (BPWA) remains unclear. Verbal fluency tasks may provide valuable insights into the interplay between cognitive control and lexical access in BPWA by addressing word generation abilities in language contexts that exert varying degrees of cognitive control effort. Aims: The present study aimed to examine the performance of BPWA on a semantic category generation task that required word retrieval in single and dual-language contexts under varying cognitive control demands and a traditional letter fluency task conducted in single-language contexts. We also examined the associations between verbal fluency performance and (i) bilingual language history, and (ii) performance on standardized language assessments in both BPWA and healthy bilinguals. Methods and Procedures: Thirteen Spanish-English BPWA and twenty-two Spanish-English healthy bilinguals completed a language use questionnaire, verbal fluency testing and standardized language assessments in each language. The semantic category generation task included four conditions: two conditions examined word retrieval in the first-acquired (L1) and second-acquired language (L2) in single language contexts (No Switch-L1 and No Switch-L2) and two conditions elicited word retrieval in dual-language contexts (Self-Switch and Forced-Switch) with low and high cognitive control demands by allowing or restricting switching across languages. The letter fluency task was administered in single language contexts only (F, A, S for English and P, M, R for Spanish). Verbal fluency performance was compared across conditions and groups using multivariate analyses. Further, correlational analyses were used to examine associations between verbal fluency tasks and bilingual language history, language assessments, and cognitive function. Outcomes and Results: Overall, the healthy bilinguals produced a higher proportion of accurate words in both verbal fluency tasks relative to the BPWA. Results indicate that BPWA were more sensitive to the effects of increased cognitive control on lexical access relative to healthy bilinguals. BPWA and healthy bilinguals’ performance on both verbal fluency tasks was associated with metrics of bilingual language history and standardized language assessments. Additionally, for BPWA, L2 letter fluency performance was associated with cognitive function. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that verbal fluency tasks can help characterize the impact of cognitive control on lexical access in BPWA in single and mixed language contexts with important clinical implications.

中文翻译：

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言语流畅性作为双语失语症患者词汇访问和认知控制的衡量标准


摘要背景：双语者的词汇访问可能会受到不同交互环境对认知控制过程提出的要求的影响。然而，不同的认知控制需求如何影响双语失语症患者（BPWA）的词汇获取仍不清楚。通过解决语言环境中发挥不同程度的认知控制努力的单词生成能力，语言流利性任务可以为 BPWA 中认知控制和词汇访问之间的相互作用提供有价值的见解。目的：本研究旨在检验 BPWA 在语义类别生成任务（需要在不同认知控制需求下在单语言和双语言环境中进行单词检索）以及在单语言环境中进行的传统字母流利度任务中的性能。我们还研究了 BPWA 和健康双语者的言语流利度表现与 (i) 双语语言历史和 (ii) 标准化语言评估表现之间的关联。方法和程序：13 名西班牙语-英语 BPWA 和 22 名西班牙语-英语健康双语者完成了每种语言的语言使用调查问卷、言语流利度测试和标准化语言评估。语义类别生成任务包括四个条件：两个条件检查单语言上下文（无 Switch-L1 和无 Switch-L2）中第一习得语言 (L1) 和第二习得语言 (L2) 的单词检索，两个条件引出单词通过允许或限制跨语言切换，在具有低和高认知控制需求的双语言环境（自切换和强制切换）中进行检索。字母流利度任务仅在单一语言环境中进行（F、A、S 表示英语，P、M、R 表示西班牙语）。 使用多变量分析比较不同条件和群体的言语流利度表现。此外，相关分析用于检查言语流畅性任务与双语语言历史、语言评估和认知功能之间的关联。结果和结果：总体而言，与 BPWA 相比，健康的双语者在言语流利性任务中产生的准确单词比例更高。结果表明，与健康双语者相比，BPWA 对认知控制增强对词汇访问的影响更为敏感。 BPWA 和健康双语者在言语流畅性任务上的表现与双语语言历史和标准化语言评估的指标相关。此外，对于 BPWA，L2 字母流利度表现与认知功能相关。结论：我们的研究结果表明，言语流畅性任务可以帮助表征认知控制对单一和混合语言环境中 BPWA 词汇访问的影响，具有重要的临床意义。